1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the field of mowers and, more specifically, to a pivot-blade retaining mechanism for such mowers.
2. Description of Related Art
For many years, lawn mower blades were simply bolted on to the bottom of a rotating shaft. As the blades themselves were a little more than straight pieces of sharpened stamped steel, and as all of the forces on the blade were unidirectional, this method of interconnection worked quite well. When the requirements for passing torque to the blade increased, manufacturers adapted varying techniques to include some sort of adapter between the blade and the shaft in order to physically connect the blade. Typically, these methods used a single mounting plate or disc and attached the blade with mounting bolts and retaining nuts.
These methods provide an acceptable solution for rough-cut type grass cutting where durability and impact strength mounting assembly are the main concern. However, these methods provide less than desirable cut-quality for finish-cut operations. The cutting blade would experience significant wobble that resulted in an uneven cut and unprofessional appearance.